Jump rope device with removably-connected cable

ABSTRACT

A jump rope device includes a connection assembly having a male connecting member and a female connecting member. The male connecting member includes a head having at least one locking projection. The female connecting member defines an opening configured to receive at least a portion of the male connecting member into an internal cavity. The female connecting member includes at least one locking arm that is biased into a first position, and configured to move from the first position into a second position when the male connecting member is inserted into the opening. The at least one locking arm is configured to return to the first position following insertion of the male connecting member to thereby create a secure connection between male and female connecting members.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/978,073, filed May 11, 2018, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/577,121, filed on Oct. 25, 2017,the disclosures of both of which are hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to exercise equipment and moreparticularly to jump rope devices.

BACKGROUND

Jumping rope has been a popular children's activity since the MiddleAges. Since the 1970's, it has come into the mainstream as a staple ofmany of the most popular exercise regimes.

Jumping rope has long been a popular exercise due to its health benefitsin aerobic and anaerobic training, as well as the enjoyment inperforming fun, challenging, and dynamic variety of skills. Jump roperoutines may condition multiple muscle groups simultaneously via anatural, full-body motion.

Jump rope routines have a short learning curve because jumping ropeleverages natural body motions. This gentle learning curve makes jumpingrope accessible to easily discouraged novices, increasing the chancesthat a new jump roper will stick with a jump-rope-based workout regime.This may provide an opportunity to offer additional jump rope-basedproducts to a jump rope user as they progress such as additional workoutvideos, new jump ropes and the like.

Jumping rope has become an increasingly popular cross-training exercisebecause of recent fitness trends that indicate a preference forexercises that offer functional, full-body motions that conditionseveral muscles and train several skills in a natural body motion. Jumpropes are uniquely suited to cross-training exercise regimes because theuser may vary the resistive forces of the jump rope in a variety ofways. For example, the centripetal force exerted by a jump rope as it isbeing rotated is proportional to the mass of the jump rope. Thus, if themass of the jump rope is doubled, a jump roper must work about twice ashard to spin the rope at the same speed. The centripetal force exertedby a jump rope as it is being rotated is proportional to the square ofthe rope's angular velocity. Thus, if the jump rope spins twice as fast,a jump roper must work four times as hard to counteract the centripetalforce exerted by the spinning jump rope.

This unique combination of resistive forces (i.e. centripetal force dueto jump rope mass and configuration and centripetal force due to jumprope speed) enables anaerobic and aerobic exercise using the sameequipment, during the same exercise routine. The availability ofstrength training and cardiovascular workouts from a single piece ofexercise equipment greatly increases the utility of the equipment to theuser. It reduces the equipment needed to successfully exercise.Additionally, user familiarity and comfort with the jump rope isincreased because the user spends a significant amount of time with thejump rope instead of dividing time between multiple exerciseapparatuses.

If a jump rope of appropriate size and weight is provided, jumping ropeenables the user to target specific muscle groups and to develop fasttwitch muscle or slow twitch muscle. For example, thin and light jumpropes enable the user to focus on cardiovascular fitness. This may tonethe users muscles and reduce fat. Heavier ropes may be utilized by userswishing to improve muscle tone and bulk in their forearms, biceps, andshoulders.

Specialized workouts may be used in conjunction with specifically chosenjump ropes in order to target certain muscle groups during exercise.High knee jumping with a heavy jump rope, for example, may target theuser's arms and core muscles. Single- and double-leg high knee exercisesmay greatly increase fast twitch leg muscles. Over time this may enablehigh power output in the user's legs. Side rope swings may isolate andimprove the fitness of the user's arms when consistently added to aworkout routine.

While a jump rope's resistance may be varied during a workout (therebytransitioning between anaerobic and aerobic exercise), and differentjump rope-based workout routines may be used to target certain musclegroups, further enhancing the flexibility and utility of a jump rope isdesirable. One method of providing enhancements is providing a jump ropewith adjustable features such as adjustable or interchangeable physicalcharacteristics.

There are several known examples of jump ropes that have adjustablefeatures. However, the effectiveness, ease of adjustment, and scope ofscalability of these adjustments has not been fully realized. Jump ropehandles have been disclosed which are capable of simultaneouslyconnecting multiple ropes. However, this design results in handles thatare awkward to hold and make jumping rope more difficult because of thenumber of ropes that have to pass beneath a jumper's feet and that couldget caught.

In order to improve the functionality of a jump rope, some jump ropes,such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,123 to Anthony, contain aball bearing embedded in the handle that can be removed. However, thisdesign limits the potential weight of the rope because excessivecentrifugal force while jumping rope could unexpectedly dislodge theball bearing from the rope.

The functionality of a jump rope may be expanded by altering thephysical characteristics of the rope itself. For example, U.S. Pat. No.4,109,906 to Wilson discloses a jump rope that allows interchanging of astiff bottom center section of the rope in order to widen and flattenthe base over which the jumper jumps in an effort decrease the necessaryskill or ability required to perform the jump roping action. Theinterchanging center section allows the user to vary the resistance byselecting a section that varies in weight and stiffness. However, thisis an ineffective method to vary resistance due to the awkward shape ofthe rope structure where one end of the center section can hit theground before the other end does. This results in the rope bouncing upto hit the jumper's foot or leg. Additionally, this rope shape does notgive the jumper the ability to perform any arm crossing or side-to-siderope jumping skills because the center section obstructs the performanceof these types of motion.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,985 to Hlasnicek also discloses a jump rope withvariable weight configurations. The handles have overlapping plasticsleeves that may remain on the handles for the lighter of the ropeweight configurations or the user may slide the sleeves down to thecenter of the rope to overlap the existing plastic segments resulting ina slightly higher rope weight and resulting resistance. However, thisdesign limits the variety and variability of weighted configurations andthe composite jump rope weight does not change, just the positioning ofthe weight. Exclusion of a means to alter the mass of the jump ropelimits the functionality and versatility of the jump rope.

Some jump rope devices disclose methods of adding mass to the jump rope,such as utilizing a hollow tube as the rope portion of the jump ropedevice and then filling the tube with a material such as sand or water.Although this provides a method of increasing the mass of the rope, suchdesigns bend easily and in an unpredictable manner, resulting in aninconsistent and inefficient motions and thus, inefficient workouts.These modifications are also time-consuming and impractical for a userthat wants to quickly alter the weight of a rope.

Different motions are essential to a versatile jump rope exerciseregime. For example, many jumping techniques target the upper body byincorporating arm- or hand-crossing movements. When a jump rope is usedin such a manner, the design of the attachment point of the rope to thehandle is critical. Many jump rope designs, such as U.S. Pat. No.4,637,606 to Hunn, disclose a jump rope handle with a radial bearing anda plastic member with an exterior recess whereby the rope can beattached using a universal connector. The radial bearing orientation,however, is not optimal for any hand crossing jump rope motions.

Some jump rope devices disclose the addition of mass to the handles ofthe jump rope device. While the addition of mass to the handles of ajump rope device does have some effect on a workout routine, theaddition of mass to the rotating portion of the jump rope device have amuch greater impact on resistive forces imparted on the user during aworkout. Additionally, increasing mass on the rotating portions (i.e.the rope portion) of a jump rope device allows the jump rope device tobe more versatile because resistive forces can be varied by spinning thejump rope faster or slower.

Some jump rope devices, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,148 to Loew,disclose a jump rope wherein the weight of the handles and the weight ofthe rope can be adjusted via the addition of counterweights atdesignated areas on the rope. This results in a lack of uniformity inthe mass distribution of the rope. Such uneven mass distribution yieldsan awkward feel and operation, resulting in less efficient workouts andan increased learning curve for novice users.

Although jump ropes have existed for a long time in many variousembodiments, there is an emerging mass market for a jump rope that hasquickly modified weight characteristics in order to meet a jump ropeuser's specific workout needs. Some examples of this are verylightweight, fast revolving jump ropes used for speed and quicknessexercises and skills. Other jump rope devices utilize heavy ropes forstrength-type training. Quality jump ropes that meet these needs tend tobe very expensive. For a jump rope user who wants to perform multipletypes of jump rope exercises and workouts it can be expensive topurchase multiple jump ropes. An additional problem for consumers isthat heavy jump ropes traditionally have been constructed of materialsthat are prone to breakage, particularly at the mechanical connectionbetween the handle and the rope.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,911,333 to Hunt, the entirety of which is incorporatedby reference herein, discloses a jump rope device having aremovably-connected cable, thus enabling a single pair of handles to beused with a variety of different cables. The '333 Hunt patent disclosedthe use of a snap hook to removably connect the cable to the handle.While the devices disclosed in the '333 Hunt patent provided significantadvantages over the prior art, they did suffer from certain limitations.The large gate snaps used for the connection assembly were somewhatbulky and prone to impacting the top of the handle while jumping. Theconnection assembly disrupted smooth rotation and could cause twists,tangles, and even strike the user on the hand. Furthermore, some usersfound it difficult to remove the rope from the clasp because of thedifficulty in depressing the spring-loaded gate. This difficulty couldlead to frustration, scratching of the finger nails and/or nail polish,and excessive rest time during a workout.

Thus, there is a need for a jump rope device having aremovably-connected cable with an improved connection assembly.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a jumprope device including a handle and a cable. The handle includes a handlegrip and a first connecting member. The cable includes a secondconnecting member. The first and second connecting members areconfigured to removably connect the cable to the handle. A first one ofthe first and second connecting members includes a male connectingmember and a second one of the first and second connecting membersincludes a female connecting member. The male connecting member includesa head having at least one locking projection. The female connectingmember defines an opening configured to receive at least a portion ofthe male connecting member into an internal cavity of the femaleconnecting member. The female connecting member includes at least onelocking arm that is biased into a first position. The at least onelocking arm is configured to move from the first position into a secondposition when the male connecting member is inserted into the opening.The at least one locking arm is configured to return to the firstposition following insertion of the male connecting member to therebycreate a secure connection between the male and female connectingmembers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a jump rope device being utilized by a user,in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views of a jump rope device comprising twocables which may be removably connected to the handles, in accordancewith various aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a handle connected to a cable in accordancewith an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A is a side view of a male connecting member in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B is an end view of the male connecting member of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is a first side view of a female connecting member in accordancewith an aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5B is a second side view of the female connecting member of FIG.5A, rotated 90 degrees with respect to the view of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is an end view of the female connecting member of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5D is a perspective view of the female connecting member of FIG.5A.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the female connecting member of FIG. 5A,showing the individual components from which it can be assembled.

FIG. 7A is a first side view of the base of the female connecting membershown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7B is a second side view of the female connecting member base ofFIG. 7A, rotated 90 degrees with respect to the view of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C is an end view of the female connecting member base of FIG. 7A.

FIGS. 8A-8C show various steps involved in connecting the maleconnecting member of FIG. 4A to the female connecting member of FIG. 5Ain accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a bearing assembly in accordance with oneaspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the assembled bearing assembly of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed to jump rope devices which allow forthe quick and easy interchanging of a cable of varying weight and lengthfrom handles configured to provide smooth rotation of such cables atboth low and high speeds. Devices in accordance with the disclosure maycomprise a ball bearing assembly configured to facilitate 360-degreerotation of the cable.

Jump rope devices in accordance with the present disclosure facilitate avariety of traditional as well as modern jump rope-based exercises. Suchexercises include: basic bounce step, the alternate foot step, crisscross, side rope swings, single- and double-leg high knee exercise,double unders, run skipping, and the “Ali shuffle.”

Referring to FIG. 1, a front view of a jump rope 120 being utilized by auser 100, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure isshown.

Hereinafter, an “inner” portion of an element will generally refer to aportion of an element which is closer to the sagittal plane 101 of user100 when user 100 is utilizing jump rope 120 to perform a basic bouncestep, as shown in FIG. 1. Hereinafter, an “outer” portion of an elementwill generally refer to a portion of an element which is farther awayfrom sagittal plane 101 of user 100 when user 100 is utilizing jump rope120 to perform a basic bounce step.

Jump rope 120 comprises two handles 102 (i.e., a right handle 102 a anda left handle 102 b) and a cable 110. Cables of varying sizes andweights may be used with jump rope devices 120 in accordance with thepresent disclosure. Varying-sized cables 110 will provide differentamounts of centrifugal resistance at equal rotational speeds.Utilization of varied cables 110 strengthens a user's body throughadaption to varied stimuli of increased weight and/or resistance. In anaspect, cable 110 may be at least partially constructed from one or moreof rope, leather, nylon, pro-vinyl, cloth, braided steel, vinyl coatedsteel cable, and any other suitable material as will be apparent tothose skilled in the relevant art(s) after reading the descriptionherein.

Handles 102 are configured to facilitate user operation of jump rope120. Handles 102 may comprise handle grips 104 (shown, for clarity, onlyas handle grip 104 a in FIG. 1) and handle rotators 106 (shown, forclarity, only as handle rotator 106 a in FIG. 1). Handles 102 may becomprised of wood, steel, carbon fiber, aluminum, polyvinyl chloride,plastic, thermoplastic elastomer, or any other materials as will beapparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) after reading thedescription herein.

Handle grip 104 is configured to allow user 100 to hold jump rope 120and manipulate cable 110. Handle grip 104 comprises an inner portion andan outer portion. The outer portion of the handle grip may be rigidlyconnected to handle rotator 106.

Handle rotator 106 is configured to removably connect cable 110 tohandle 102. Handle rotator 106 is further configured to facilitate360-degree rotation of cable 110 relative to handle 102. Handle rotator106 may be located on an outer portion of handle 102.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, schematic views of a jump rope 120comprising two cables 110 which may be removably connected to handles102, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure areshown.

Referring now to FIG. 3, handle rotator 106 comprises a bearing assembly121 and a female connecting member 124. Female connecting member 124 maybe connected to bearing assembly 121 via a soldered ring 122 or othersuitable connection means. Female connecting member 124 is configured toremovably connect handle 102 to cable 110. Cable end portion 126 maycomprise a male connecting member 128 configured to insertably andremovably connect to female connecting member 124, such that cable 110may smoothly rotate during operation of jump rope 110. Female connectingmember 124 and male connecting member 128 together form a connectionassembly 130. Connection assembly 130 is adapted to quickly and easilyinterchange cables 110 of varying weights and lengths from handles 102.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, male connecting member 128 includes a base132. Base 132 can be generally cylindrical in shape. Base 132 can befixedly attached to cable end portion 126 via mechanical crimping ofbase 132 onto cable 110 or via other suitable attachment means. Maleconnecting member 128 further includes a neck portion 134. Neck portion134 can be generally cylindrical in shape and can have a reduceddiameter as compared with base 132. Neck portion 134 is disposed betweenand connects base 132 and a locking head portion 136 of male connectingmember 128. Locking head portion 136 can have an elongated,generally-rectangular box shape. First and second end portions oflocking head portion 136 define first and second locking projections 138that extend radially outwardly beyond the diameter of neck portion 138.Locking projections 138 may include chamfered corners defining leadingangled surfaces 140.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, female connecting member 124 includes a base142 and two spring-biased locking arms 144. FIG. 6 shows an explodedview of the components that can be combined to form female connectingmember 124, including base 142, locking arms 144, spring 143, and pivotpins 145. Base 142 can have a generally cylindrical shape. FIGS. 7A-7Cshow various views of base 142. Inner end of base 142 can include anopening 146 through which soldered ring 122 can be received. Opening 146can be made by an eyelet, a bore, an eyehook, or other equivalent. Outerend of base 142 defines an opening 148 into an internal cavity 150.Opening 148 includes a central circular portion dimensioned and arrangedso as to receive neck portion 134 when male connecting member 128 isreceived within female connecting member 124. Opening 148 furtherincludes notched portions 152 dimensioned and arranged so as to receivefirst and second locking projections 138 when male connecting member 128is received within female connecting member 124.

Spring-biased locking arms 144 are disposed within respective channels156 (see FIG. 7B) running longitudinally along opposite sides of thebase 142. Locking arms 144 are pivotally connected to base 142 via pivotpins 145. Each locking arm 145 includes a raised gripping portion 158.Gripping portion 158 may have a textured surface to facilitate grippingby a user. Locking arms 144 are biased by internal spring 143 into afirst position as shown in FIG. 8A. In the first position, an endportion 160 of each locking arm 144 extends at least partially into thecavity 150. Locking arms 144 are aligned with respective notches 152such that each locking arm 144 is positioned in a portion of the cavity150 located above a respective notch 152 when in the first position.Each end portion 160 can have an angled leading surface 162 that issubstantially complementary to a corresponding angled surface 140 ofmale locking member 128. Apertures 164 that are contiguous with thechannels 156 and adjacent to end portions 160 extend through theexterior surface of base 142 and into the internal cavity 150. Apertures164 each define a lower ledge surface 166.

FIGS. 8A-8C depict steps by which cable 110 can be securely connected tohandle 102. Portions of the female connecting member 124 are shown astransparent to facilitate viewing of various internal components. Toconnect the cable 110 to the handle 102, a user can grasp the maleconnecting member 128 in one hand and the female connecting member 124in the other. The user aligns locking projections 138 of the maleconnecting member 128 with the notches 152 and inserts the maleconnecting member 128 into the opening 148. This motion brings lockingprojections 138 into contact with end portions 162, and morespecifically leading angled surfaces 140 into contact with leadingangled surfaces 162, forcing end portions 160 to move radially outwardas locking arms 144 pivot about pivot pins 145 and compressing spring143. This brings locking arms 144 into a second position as shown inFIG. 8B and allows male connecting member 128 to be fully inserted intothe female connecting member 124, bringing the respective end surfaces170, 172 of base 128 and base 124 into face-contacting relationship. Theuser then rotates male locking member 128 about its longitudinal axisrelative to female connecting member 124, causing locking projections138 to move into apertures 164 and out of contact with end portions 160.This movement allows end portions 160 to be biased back into the firstposition by spring 143, thereby locking the male connecting member 128into a secure connection with female locking member 124 as shown in FIG.8C. Ledge surfaces 166 catch locking projections 138 and prevent malelocking member 128 from simply being withdrawn from female lockingmember 124.

To remove the cable 110 from handle 102, a user uses two fingers topinch down on the gripping portions 158 of the two locking arms 144.This motion compresses spring 143 and moves locking arms 144 into thesecond position. While keeping the gripping portions 158 depressed, theuser rotates the male connecting member 128 relative to femaleconnecting member 124 until the locking projections 138 are aligned withnotches 152 and then withdraws the male connecting member 128 from theopening 148 to fully remove cable 110 from handle 102.

The connection assembly 130 described herein may provide significantadvantages over prior art approaches. Connection assembly 130 can beshorter and smaller so that it integrates directly with the rope, havingless bulky, moving parts that can twist and tangle, and thereby enablingsmoother unencumbered rotation. Connection assembly 130 can also be mucheasier for the average user to attach and detach cables, reducingfrustration and unnecessary rest time and making it easier than ever toadjust rope resistance very quickly.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, one example of a bearing assembly 121that can be used in accordance with the jump rope device 120 of thepresent disclosure is shown. Bearing assembly 121 includes a ballbearing housing 180 that may contain, e.g., ceramic bearings. Ballbearing housing 180 is mounted on a bearing post 182 that includes aneyelet 184 that receives soldered ring 122. A lower portion of bearingpost 182 includes a bearing post screw 178. Bearing post screw 178 issecured to bearing post 182 to hold the bearing post flushly andsecurely on the ball bearing housing 180 and prevent the bearing postfrom becoming separated from the handle 102. Bearing inset compartment176 is integral to the outer end of handle grip 104. Bearing cap 194 isfitted over the bearing assembly. Rivet 190 and rivet pin 194 arereceived through respective holes 196 in the bearing cap 194 andrespective holes (not shown) in the bearing inset compartment 176 tosecure the bearing assembly 121 in place.

While various aspects of the present disclosure have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.The present disclosure should not be limited by any of the abovedescribed aspects, but should not be limited by any of the abovedescribed aspects, but should be defined only in accordance with thefollowing claims and their equivalents.

In addition, it should be understood that the figures, which highlightthe structure, methodology, functionality and advantages of the presentdisclosure, are presented as examples only. The present disclosure issufficiently flexible and configurable, such that it may be implementedin ways other than that shown in the accompanying figures.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the relevant art(s) who arenot familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determinequickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of thistechnical disclosure. The Abstract is not intended to be limiting as tothe scope of the present disclosure in any way.

What is claimed is:
 1. A jump rope device, comprising: a handlecomprising a handle grip and a first connecting member; and a cablecomprising a second connecting member; wherein the first and secondconnecting members are configured to removably connect the cable to thehandle; wherein one of the first and second connecting members comprisesa male connecting member and a second one of the first and secondconnecting members comprises a female connecting member; wherein themale connecting member comprises a head comprising at least one lockingprojection; wherein the female connecting member defines an openingconfigured to receive at least a portion of the male connecting memberinto an internal cavity of the female connecting member, wherein thefemale connecting member comprises at least one locking arm, said atleast one locking arm being biased into a first position, said at leastone locking arm being configured to move from said first position into asecond position as said male locking member is inserted into saidopening, said at least one locking arm being configured to return tosaid first position following said insertion of the male connectingmember to thereby create a secure connection between said male andfemale connecting members.
 2. The jump rope device according to claim 1,wherein said at least one locking projection comprises first and secondlocking projections, and wherein said at least one locking arm comprisesfirst and second locking arms.
 3. The jump rope device according toclaim 2, wherein said first and second locking arms are biased into saidfirst position by an internal spring.
 4. The jump rope device accordingto claim 2, wherein the first and second locking arms are disposedwithin respective first and second channels that run longitudinallyalong opposite sides of a base of the female connecting member.
 5. Thejump rope device according to claim 4, wherein the first and secondlocking arms are pivotally connected to the base.
 6. The jump ropedevice according to claim 2, wherein the opening includes a centralportion configured to receive a neck portion of the male connectingmember when the male connecting member is inserted into the femaleconnecting member, and wherein the opening further includes first andsecond notched portions that extend radially outward from the centralportion, the first and second notched portions being configured toreceive respective first and second locking projections when the maleconnecting member is inserted into the female connecting member.
 7. Thejump rope device according to claim 6, wherein the first and secondlocking arms are aligned with the first and second notched portions. 8.The jump rope device according to claim 2, wherein first and secondlocking projections define angled leading surfaces that aresubstantially complementary to corresponding angled leading surfacesdefined by end portions of the first and second locking arms.
 9. Thejump rope device according to claim 2, wherein the first and secondlocking arms comprise respective first and second gripping portionsconfigured to be pinched by a user's fingers to move the first andlocking arms into the second position, thereby allowing the user towithdraw the male connecting member from the opening to disconnect thecable from the handle.